The UNlucky One
by Avinaya La Salle
Summary: Adrien's brother Felix has returned from abroad, disrupting the balance Adrien has found between his life as a model son and that of his alter ego, Cat Noir. As if things couldn't get worse, a shadow of bad luck emerges on the horizon, testing the bond between Cat Noir and Ladybug. Who is this new shadowy figure in Paris, and what are his intentions with Ladybug?
1. Prologue

The UNlucky One

Prologue

Bad luck followed him, a black cloud that never left him alone, ever blotting the sunshine from his life. It had been that way for as long as he could remember. Even the day he was born had been wrought with misfortune and tragedy. After a complicated and dangerous delivery, he arrived into the world at the cost of another's life: that of his twin sister.

The doctors had told his parents that they could only save one of the twins. Due to positioning and survival chances, they had chosen his sister. Fate had other ideas. Somehow, the unborn twins swapped places before the doctors began the procedure to save the girl, and her brother received the treatment meant for her. He firmly believed that cruel twist of fate had been the catalyst for his curse. His parents never blamed him or acknowledged his bad luck. In fact, they had named him Felix, a name meaning happy or lucky in Latin.

As Felix grew up, he realized just how much that name didn't suit him. Nothing seemed to go right when he was involved. Everything from minor instances of running out of milk for his cereal nearly every morning, no matter how full it had been the day before, to more irritating things such as missing every bus despite being early. The worst cases were when he tried to help his little brother with anything. Inevitably, his brother would end up hurt or in some sort of trouble. Eventually, Felix gave up and began to distance himself from his family. When the opportunity arose for him to study in another country, he leapt at the chance.

Five years had passed since he'd been home. He didn't even return when his mother disappeared. In fact, the only reason he even decided to go back home had been twofold. A particularly bad stroke of luck and a rumor. He had been expelled from his school mere days from graduating because of an awful misunderstanding. It was one of those wrong place, wrong time instances, and he'd been accused of accosting a female student and stealing her term paper. In actuality, she had never seen who took her paper, and he had found it on the ground nearby. Not even knowing the student, he took the paper to the teacher, but before he could even explain, the girl fingered him as the thief.

His father would have found another school for him in Italy, but it had been the rumor that had led him specifically back to Paris. Two superheroes had appeared; they called themselves Ladybug and Cat Noir. It was the ladybug themed hero that caught his eye. Ladybugs were a symbol of love and good luck, and from everything he'd heard, this heroine certainly had luck to spare. Her main power was even called Lucky Charm. For the first time in his life, Felix felt hope. Perhaps she could be the key to breaking his curse.

* * *

A/N: It's a bit short, but it is a prologue after all. First official chapter is done and almost ready for upload. Thanks for reading!


	2. Camembert!

Camembert?!

Marinette skidded to a stop in front of her classroom door and caught her breath. Hesitantly, she pulled the door open a crack to see if the teacher had started class and she would need to sneak in again. The chattering of her classmates told her the teacher wasn't there yet, so she flung the door the rest of the way open and scampered quickly inside. As she made her way to her seat in the second row, she stole a furtive glance at the boy seated just in front of hers.

Adrien Agreste looked stunning as always, but that was to be expected of the blonde, emerald eyed model. He chatted casually with his table mate, Nino, as they prepared for class. Marinette's heart fluttered. She had been crushing on Adrien since the first day of school. Unfortunately, her mouth refused to form proper words whenever she was around him, so it was better for everyone if she just kept it closed. One of these days, she knew she would have the courage (and articulation) to actually say hi to him without making a fool of herself. Today was not that day, however, so she averted her gaze and continued to her seat.

"Hey, girl," her bff Alya greeted cheerfully. "You actually made it on time! Color me impressed."

Marinette grinned sheepishly and slid into her seat beside Alya at the table they shared. "Yeah, me too."

An akuma had attacked the night before, and Marinette didn't make it to bed until quite late. If Tikki hadn't woken her, she certainly would not have been on time! Marinette patted her purse absently, silently thanking the little, red bug kwami hiding inside. Tikki was so much more than just the source of her Ladybug powers, and Marinette knew she'd be lost without her kwami friend.

"What do you have there?" Alya's question startled Marinette out of her thoughts. She checked her purse frantically to make sure it hadn't popped open, revealing her secret identity to the young reporter. Alya chuckled, unfazed by her friend's confusion and pointed to the cloth-wrapped parcel in Marinette's other hand.

"Oh!" Marinette exclaimed and set the bundle on the table between them. "My dad is experimenting with bread and cheese pairings. He wants to be able to make suggestions to our bakery's customers. He asked if some of my friends might like to offer feedback." She untied the cloth wrapping to reveal a box with a clear plastic window in the top. Nestled within was a small cup of warm, gooey cheese surrounded by small slices of a crusty bread. Marinette explained, "It's some of my dad's rosemary and olive oil ciabatta with a cranberry and walnut baked Camembert."

In front of her, Adrien had been half paying attention to the girls' conversation, but the last word made him perk up and groan internally.

"Camembert?!" a small voice erupted from within his book bag. Just as he'd feared, the word had gotten the attention of Adrien's secret companion, who was absolutely obsessed with the stinky cheese, much to Adrien's chagrin. Plagg! Adrien mentally chided his black cat kwami. If anyone found out about him, they would know Adrien was really Cat Noir. Not even his Ladybug knew his identity!

Thinking fast, Adrien coughed softly and, in one fluid motion, kicked his book bag lightly, reminding Plagg to keep quiet, and whirled in his seat to face the girls at the table behind him. "Did you say Camembert?" he asked excitedly. Nino raised an eyebrow, and he and both girls turned to look at Adrien curiously. Maybe he'd been a little too enthusiastic...

Marinette's eyes widened. She had gone complete deer in the headlights. Somewhere, she registered Alya snicker quietly and say, "That's right. What did you say it was again, Marinette?" Alya nudged her elbow, hoping to break the dark haired girl out of her nearly drooling stupor.

"Oh, right, Camembert, baked, cranberries, walnuts... Um, ciabatta?" she stammered inelegantly.

"What she means is 'Would you like some?' Right, Marinette?" Alya translated.

Marinette just nodded woodenly, wondering absently if the rest of them could hear her heart pounding out of her chest. She lifted the lid off the box with shaking fingers and offered the contents to her secret crush.

"Thanks, Marinette! I just love Camembert," Adrien said, hoping to cover some of his over exuberance from earlier. He picked up a slice of the bread and dipped it in the melted cheese.

"Dude, that looks excellent!" Nino commented.

Marinette passed the box around to her friends and smiled to herself. Adrien loved Camembert. She'd have to remember that detail for later.

Meanwhile, Adrien held the cheese coated bread up skeptically. He actually didn't care much for the cheese but couldn't back down now. Mustering up his best smile, he brought it to his lips and took a small bite. Flavor burst on his tongue, and to his surprise, the flavors of the bread and cheese melded quite well. The sweet cranberries masked the usual sourness of the strong cheese, and the aromatic rosemary in the bread tied all of the flavors together. The walnuts added a nice texture. Overall, it tasted like something his chef would prepare for him. "Wow, this is great, Marinette! I'll have to come by your family's bakery more often!" He beamed at the girl, completely oblivious to the effect he had on her.

Marinette's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, unsure how to respond. A sharp elbow from Alya finally loosened her tongue. Unfortunately, it didn't do much for her muddled brain. "You're awesome. I mean, that's awesome! Er, not that you're not awesome. I mean, of course you are; you're Adrien Agreste," she babbled incoherently. "I'll tell my dad I like y- I mean, that you liked it!" She flashed him a shaky smile.

Adrien just chuckled quietly at his awkward classmate and thanked her. While Nino and Alya offered their own positive feedback, Adrien pretended to look for something in his bag and scowled at the kwami hidden away within.

"What?" Plagg asked innocently, quiet enough that only Adrien could hear him. "She said Camembert!" He shrugged, closed his eyes, and lounged back against one of Adrien's textbooks. One eye popped back open and he said cheekily, "You did save me some, riiiight?"

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes but snuck the remaining cheese into the bag anyhow. Plagg's eyes rounded, and he snatched the cheese up so swiftly that he shuffled several of Adrien's papers in the process. Adrien let out another heavy sigh, but Plagg didn't notice. "My gooeyness!" His tiny black paws were coated. Adrien just hoped it wouldn't be all over the inside of his bag by the end of the day. He was about to leave Plagg to his precious when one of the papers caught his eye.

"What's this?" he mused to himself as he snatched it up and pulled it out of his bag for a better look. It was an envelope. He turned it over, and eyed the careful handwriting on the front.

"Yo, Adrien, my man, who's the letter from?" Nino scooted his chair closer and peered at the letter.

"It's from... my brother," Adrien realized in astonishment.

"You have a brother?!"

* * *

A/N: And the story begins. I've been (and will probably continue) writing this on my phone, so please let me know if my autocorrect has gone haywire anywhere! Thank you for reading!


	3. The Letter

**The Letter**

"You have a brother?!" Nino, Alya, and Marinette responded in unison. The two girls had only been paying half attention until they'd heard that little tidbit. Marinette squealed internally at the the prospect and was suddenly lost in her own thoughts, imagining what the brother of her crush must be like.

"Woah, dude! I didn't know you had a brother. I mean, I thought we were buds, man," Nino said. He folded his arms across his chest and feigned an offended look.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Adrien replied, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "He's been studying abroad, so I guess I forgot to mention him." He turned his attention back to the letter, and the addressee's name caught his eye:

 **Gabriel Agreste**

"Oh, but its addressed to my father." That made more sense. He hadn't even spoken to his brother since he'd left for Italy. "But why was it in my bag...?" He glanced at the postmark and grimaced. Uh oh... "It was sent a week and a half ago. I must have gotten it mixed up with my papers when I used Nathalie's desk for my history project last week."

"Hope it's nothing important," Nino commented.

Adrien winced. He'd been thinking the same thing. His brother rarely contacted their father. Usually, any communication went through Nathalie via email. It was quite strange that he would send a letter. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he dismissed the thought. "If it were important, I'm sure he'd have called or sent an email."

"Well, you can always open it and find out," Alya suggested. She grinned, a conspiratorial glint in her hazel eyes.

"But it's addressed to my father..." Adrien frowned. Nathalie usually handled all of his father's mail. The efficient woman was truly a marvel and more his father's right hand than an assistant. Despite her strict and distant demeanor, she always treated Adrien fairly and often spoke to his father on his behalf. An opened letter would be much easier to explain to Nathalie, and she certainly wouldn't mention his blunder...

Adrien shook his head slowly. Whatever was written within was between his brother and their father. And Nathalie, of course, as the go between. "It's addressed to father," Adrien said resolutely. "I can't open it. I'll give it back to Nathalie during lunch."

Alya pouted. "Oh fine." She sighed, defeated. "Can I take a peek at it, though? Just for a second."

Marinette snapped back to attention and looked at her friend curiously. Alya never gave up that easily, a trait that had gotten her in trouble more than once in her journalistic ventures. Adrien just shrugged and held the envelope out to her. A grin broke over Alya's face. She gripped one corner of the envelope and tugged sharply before Adrien could release it. The paper tore with a loud rip, and the three friends' jaws dropped. "Whoops," the brunette responded. She put a hand to her mouth in feigned innocence.

"Alya!" Marinette exclaimed. Poor Adrien looked like he was in shock, the open envelope hanging loosely in his fingers. Marinette's heart ached for him, while her head took off in a flurry of thoughts. She'd heard that Adrien's dad could be pretty strict. What if he was punished for opening his father's mail? What if Adrien was akumatized over this? She'd seen people become akumatized for less. She couldn't fight Adrien! Cat Noir wouldn't have any qualms about fighting him, but Marinette didn't want to see that either.

Nino shook his head at Alya. "Babe, that was probably the most deliberate thing I've ever seen..."

Alya just winked at him from behind her dark rimmed glasses and retorted, "And you should have seen it coming. How long have we been dating now?"

"Clearly not long enough," Nino replied with a goofy grin at his girlfriend. He sobered and turned his attention to Adrien. "Hey, man, you ok?"

Adrien blinked a couple times and looked up. Then, to all of their surprise, he burst out laughing!

"Um, Adrien..?" Marinette asked tentatively. Had he already been akumatized?

Adrien grinned impishly. Alya's action had been exactly what Plagg would have done had he been a part of their conversation, even down to the fake look of innocence. All Adrien could picture was a tiny Plagg-sized Alya with cat ears, eating Camembert and causing trouble. Adrien chuckled again, shook his head, and said simply, "Well, I guess there's no harm sneaking a peak now." He grabbed the letter and pulled it out of the mangled envelope, but before he could unfold it, the classroom door swung open.

A slightly frazzled looking Miss Bustier hurried into the room and started to settle into the teacher's desk. "I'm sorry I'm late, students. It seems there is an akuma running rampant a couple of streets down. Traffic was a nightmare."

Marinette and Adrien both groaned quietly, while half their class, Alya included, leapt up and tried to see if anything was visible from their classroom window. As their teacher tried her best to corral her class back to their seats, Adrien stuffed the letter into the back of his notebook and tossed it into his book bag.

"Hey, Nino, I've got a photo shoot in half an hour, and if the traffic is as bad as Miss Bustier says, I'd better leave now." Adrien picked up his bag and flashed his DJ friend an apologetic smile. His modeling job had become the purrfect excuse for his Cat Noir escapades, so long as no one mentioned his "extra" photo shoots to Nathalie or his father. He still hated skipping class, though. "Could you let her know for me?"

"Yeah, sure, dude. What are buds for?" Nino grinned back at him. Movement behind him caught his eye, and he turned to see Marinette tiptoeing toward the door. "Where are you going?"

Marinette froze. Adrien and Nino were both staring at her. She hadn't really thought of a good excuse to explain her Ladybug disappearance for today and had been hoping to sneak out before anyone could stop her. She smiled shakily. "I, uh, forgot my French paper at home. I'm just going to run and grab it. I shouldn't be gone long!" Marinette winced as she said it. Great, now Adrien would think she was even more of a spazz.

Nino looked from Marinette to Adrien thoughtfully. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were both sneaking off somewhere..." Marinette's breath caught in her throat, and Adrien shifted uncomfortably. Not noticing their reactions, Nino just chuckled. "Naw, just messing with you. Don't worry, I'll let the teach know."

They both thanked him and dashed out the door, each going their separate ways.

* * *

A/N: As always, thank you for reading! My goal is to upload a chapter every two days, but with life and all, it might end up being once a week.

My proofreader when reading about Marinette imagining Adrien's brother: "All I can think of is Stongbad saying, 'Allie. Allie's sister. Allie. Allie's sister.'" I laughed so hard when he said that! Trust me, it's funny if you get the reference...


	4. Waiting

**Waiting**

"Quick, Cat Noir, the akuma is in his mask!" Ladybug called to her partner as she dodged a powerful blast of water. She tossed her yoyo overhead to anchor around the top of the streetlight and used it to swing behind the akumatized victim. Without hesitation, she cinched the oversized red and black-spotted zip tie tight around the firehose and grinned as the steady stream of water slowed to a trickle. Cat Noir jumped at the opening and used his baton to knock the oxygen mask off the victim's face and in Ladybug's direction. She stomped on it as hard as she could. A small, purple and black butterfly fluttered up from the crack down the front. With a practiced throw, she caught the akuma up in her yoyo, cleansed it, and sent the little white butterfly that remained on its way. She snatched up the zip tie and threw it up into the air above them. Hundreds of little ladybugs burst from her Lucky Charm and went to work repairing the city, leaving a very confused fireman sitting in the middle of the street.

"Pound it!" the heroes said in unison with their customary fistbump.

"So, M'ladybug, now that the akuma is out of the way, how about we go cat-ch up over a milkshake. I know the purrfect spot," Cat Noir flirted hopelessly with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Ladybug rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn't hide the trace of a smile on her lips. "As tempting as that is, Kitty, I've got a very time-sensitive wardrobe problem." She tapped one of her red earrings to show only two of the normal five spots left. With a wink, she shot her yoyo over his head and swung away, disappearing into the bustle of Paris. Cat Noir watched her go with a goofy grin on his face before dashing off himself. Nearby, two very oblivious classmates made their way back to school.

* * *

The rest of morning classes passed quickly. The school bell chimed, marking the start of lunch, and the students began to pack up their things.

"Soooo?" Alya poked Adrien in the back with her pencil. He turned and looked at her questioningly. "Well? We've been waiting! What does the letter from your brother say?!" Marinette and Nino stopped gathering their things and leaned in as well to hear his response.

"Oh, well-"

"Ugh, Adrikins," a nasally, grating voice interrupted. "Don't tell me you got a letter from _Felix_." Chloe stood beside him, her ever present lackey, Sabrina just behind her, holding both their things. She said the last word with a note of disgust and flicked a hand out as if trying to get something gross off her. "He's a reject! I mean, first off, who sends letters these days? Doesn't he know texting is the best way to communicate? Second, he ruins everything he touches!"

"C'mon, Chloe, he's not that bad," Adrien said and pulled the letter out of his notebook. "Felix is my brother. He's just a little... unlucky."

Chloe harrumphed and flicked her blond ponytail over one shoulder. "I'm sorry, Adrikins. He may be your brother, but I still say he's bad news." She huffed off toward the door. "Let's go, Sabrina."

"Y-yes, Chloe," the redhead replied and shuffled the things in her arms awkwardly as she followed.

While Marinette and Alya ground their teeth in irritation and Nino rolled his eyes, Adrien just shook his head. Chloe never changed, and she and Felix had never gotten along. Adrien unfolded the letter and read to himself silently.

The three friends held their breath and leaned closer, Alya trying desperately to get a glimpse over Adrien's shoulder. She caught the words "expelled" and "school in Paris" before Adrien jumped out of his seat, his eyes wide. "Nino, today's the tenth, right?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"Because Felix was supposed to fly back to Paris last night!"

* * *

Felix sat on the airport bench feeling quite disheveled and exhausted. His flight had arrived right on time at 19:00 the night before, and he thought it might have been his first stroke of good luck. Unfortunately, no one was waiting for him. He'd spent the last of his money on his airline ticket, figuring his father would send Nathalie with the car to pick him up when he arrived. He didn't have any money for a taxi, and by the time he realized Nathalie wasn't just running late, it was already too dark to try and walk it. He'd found a corner seat in the airport and got what rest he could.

When he woke, it was mid morning, and his stomach growled unhappily. Thankfully, his uncle Anton had packed him some potato croquettes for the trip. He pulled them out of his bag and frowned at the squashed box. He shook his head and picked at a now flat croquet.

"Hey, I smell food. Where's mine?" A small, petulant voice groused from his vest pocket.

"Be quiet, Shade," Felix snapped back. "Besides, it's not cheese. You wouldn't like it, you fickle creature."

There was a quiet sniff followed by, "I smell Romano." Felix didn't respond and just continued to eat. Bright purple eyes peered out of the pocket and stared at him. "You know, if you hadn't broken your phone, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"It wouldn't have been an issue if the phone lines hadn't been knocked out by that storm last week," Felix grumbled.

"Don't forget the internet, too." The eyes vanished, and his pocket sighed. "Your bad luck is really something. At least your uncle said everything would be back up sometime today. He'll probably call Nathalie to make sure you made it in safe."

"If he remembers," Felix reminded the voice.

"Hey, your luck could change. Unlikely, but it could happen."

Felix closed his eyes and leaned his head back. If his luck could change so easily, it would have done so long ago. He would have to walk, if he could find someone to give him directions. No phone meant no gps, and he hadn't been home since he was twelve. "Let's go."

He picked up his bags and made his way outside. He'd just turned toward the sidewalk when an expensive looking car drove up alongside. He stopped and watched, his fatigue spurring a flicker of hope. The door swung open, and a relieved Nathalie stepped out. An even more relieved Felix stepped up to meet her.

"Felix, I'm glad you're alright and made it back to Paris safely. I apologize for the delay in picking you up. There was a... slight mixup with your letter." She ushered him into the car, and they were soon on their way into the city, toward home.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for the encouraging words! It has really been helping to keep me motivated! As always, thanks for reading.

PS- Please don't listen to Chloe. Texting is _not_ the best way to communicate!


	5. Home at Last

**Home at Last**

Felix closed the door to his room and let out a tired sigh. His fitful sleep in the airport had not prepared him for the less than pleasant reunion with his father. Thankfully, Gabrielle Agreste had been busy with work when Felix arrived at the house. It gave him enough time to have the chef prepare him some lunch. He dreaded the confrontation, but at least having some food in his stomach made the prospect more bearable.

Once his father finally had time to welcome his elder son home, the meeting went just as Felix had expected. His father was disappointed with him over his expulsion and letting himself get into such a ridiculous misunderstanding. There was no acknowledgement of Felix's excellent grades or how hard he had worked toward early graduation. There never had been. Despite the intentions Felix had made known in his letter about attending a school in Paris, his father had already started making arrangements for Felix to finish his schooling at home with the best tutors in Paris.

"Father, I have gone to an actual school for the last five years. I've grown accustomed to the schedule and structure of it. Wouldn't it make more sense for me to finish out the remaining days at a school here in Paris?" Felix reasoned. His whole purpose in returning to Paris in the first place was to meet a certain Ladybug. If he was cooped up in his house all day, every day, he doubted he would ever have the opportunity to cross paths with her.

His father seemed to consider for a moment. "I suppose it can't hurt. You can attend Adrien's school. Nathalie."

His assistant stepped forward from where she stood behind him, ever present, even during a reunion between father and son. "Yes, Mr Agreste."

"Contact Collège et Lycée Françoise Dupont and make the arrangements for Felix's transfer."

"Yes, sir." She pulled out her phone and stepped into the other room to make the call.

"I have two conditions," his father continued once Nathalie was out of sight. "You will go to and from school in the car with Adrien and his bodyguard, who will now also serve as your bodyguard. Also, I expect you to work for me as an intern when you are not pursuing your academic studies."

Felix frowned. He had no intentions of following his father into the fashion industry but knew better than to argue with the stubborn designer. He agreed to the conditions, albeit begrudgingly, and waited for his father to dismiss him before finally escaping to his room.

With another sigh, Felix looked around the room. To his right, two large bookshelves took up the majority of one wall. They were separated by an ornate wooden desk with intricate carvings winding up the legs and around the drawers and trim. A good sized computer monitor took up one corner of its surface, and a fancy keyboard sat in front of it. His bed sat against the opposite wall. A ladder next to the bed lead to a small loft where another desk stood. The desk's surface was covered with models of famous architectural structures from all over Europe. There was a door on the other side of the bed leading to his own private bathroom. The wall across from him was almost entirely made of windows, allowing the late afternoon light to flood the room. The few decorations around the room were practical and strategically placed, giving the room an elegant feel. Everything was exactly the same as when he'd left five years ago, even down to the white bedsheets and blue-gray comforter. Thankfully, the maid had kept the room clean over the years, and there wasn't a speck of dust in sight.

Felix made his way to the bed and opened the drawer of the nightstand. Nestled inside sat a solitary object: a small black box with Chinese symbols printed in red across the lid. It was still there. He picked up the box and flopped down onto mattress. "You can come out, now, Shade." A shadowy ball flew out from his vest pocket and lit upon the railing of the loft overhead.

"Classy place you've got here," the creature said as he surveyed their surroundings.

Felix held the box up in his right hand and looked from it to the intricate silver ring on his middle finger. A cat face stared back at him from atop the ring with two amethyst eyes. Felix shifted his gaze to the creature above him. It always unnerved him how unnatural a being Shade was. Very cat-like in appearance, Shade was about the size of a soda can. His head was disproportionately larger than his body, and two cat ears perched atop it. Two purple cat eyes shone like the amethysts in Felix's ring from his face, and wispy whiskers sprouted from his cheeks. Rather than any particular color, he seemed to be a void of all light, his body composed entirely of swirling and condensing shadows, not quite solid but with definite substance. Tendrils of shadows lazily trailed his every movement.

Shade's tail twitched behind him, and he floated back down to hover just above Felix. "What's that?" Without even waiting for an answer, he swiped it out of Felix's hands.

"Hey!"

Ignoring Felix's protest, Shade turned the box over in his tiny, shadowy paws, ripped the lid off, and peered inside. Finding it empty, he tossed the box and lid back at Felix with a pout.

"Be careful with that!" Felix caught the box and put it back together. "This is the only clue I have as to where this ring came from."

Shade's eyes widened. "Wait. That's the box you found the ring in?"

"That's right."

"It does look a bit familiar..." Shade flew closer and examined the box with renewed interest. "You said you just found it in here on your twelfth birthday?"

Felix nodded and pointed to his nightstand. "It was sitting right there. I'd thought it had come from my family, but they didn't know anything about it." He ran his fingers over the ring. "Like I told you, I put it on and haven't been able to take it off since." To emphasize his point, he gave the ring a solid tug to no effect.

Shade sniffed the box then the ring. His face turned thoughtful. Felix sat up on the bed and watched the little shadow creature hopefully. Shade shrugged. "I've got nothing."

"Useless thing," Felix grumbled. It had been like this since the first day Shade appeared.

It was almost half a year ago. Felix had been studying in the school library when a bright purple light flashed around him and a swirl of shadows shot from the ring. All of the other students had already left for the day, so no one heard his startled cry as the shadow fell to the floor with a quiet thud. Felix approached cautiously to find a dazed Shade with no memory of who or even what he was.

"Where's my cheese?" Shade asked, bringing Felix back to the present. "I know you have some. I can smell it." He stretched his paws out expectantly.

Felix huffed and rolled his blue-gray eyes in exasperation. "Here." He pulled a napkin from his pants pocket and tossed it at him. Shade snatched it out of the air, pulled a hunk of Parmesan out of the napkin, and began to nibble at it happily. "Just eat it quietly. I start school tomorrow."

"Too bad you haf to reeshtart the shemeshter," the shadowy cat said around a mouthful of cheesy goodness.

Felix flung his arm over his eyes and said sleepily, "That's just my luck."

* * *

A/N: Yes, Shade does look and act a lot like Plagg. Yes, there is a reason for it. No, I won't tell you what that reason is. *In my best River impersonation* Spoilers!

I'm also making a tiny change to Adrien's school name. I'll explain in the next chapter.

I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I got caught up on the wording a lot. I know; it doesn't have to be perfect. But I'm a perfectionist, dagnabbit! Oh well. It's a necessary chapter, so I'll just have to deal with it.

Thanks for reading! Until next time.


	6. Hitting it Off

**A/N:** So, in my research (yes, I fact check [and yes, Felix is Latin and means happy or lucky]), I came across something regarding our favorite Marinette and Adrien's school; it is a collège, which in France, is the first level of secondary education. A lycée is the next level and would be where Felix would attend. So! For the purpose of this story, their school is now a combined collège et lycée.

* * *

 **Hitting it Off**

Beeping. Horribly irritating, thoroughly annoying beeping.

"Ugh, make it stop," Marinette mumbled from under her pink comforter.

"Marinette! It's time to get up!" Tikki's dulcet voice called to her from above.

"Just five more minutes..."

"Marinette!" Two tiny paws shook her shoulder. "You said five more minutes twenty five minutes ago!"

A long moment of silence passed between them, and Tikki wondered if her charge had fallen back to sleep. Suddenly, a flurry of covers flew off the bed and landed on the floor with a thud. A tousled head popped out of the mass of bedding and stared up at Tikki. "Twenty five minutes ago?! I'm going to be late!"

Tikki sighed. "That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

Marinette wriggled out of the twisted bedsheets and scrambled about the room like a whirlwind. Once she was clothed and her dark hair tamed into their usual pigtails, she scooped up her schoolbooks and homework, dumped them unceremoniously into her backpack, and slung it and her purse over her shoulder. "Let's go, Tikki!" She popped the purse open and held it out for the kwami.

"Wait!" Tikki zipped down to her desk and landed on a thick, pink covered book. "You forgot your sketchbook!"

"Thanks, Tikki!" Marinette picked up the book and placed it in her backpack with much more reverence than her schoolbooks. Gabriel Agreste was holding another fashion competition at her school, and Marinette had been up into the wee hours of the night sketching designs. She was torn between a few ideas and wanted to get Alya's opinion before she started putting things together. With everything in order, Tikki zipped into the waiting purse, and they were on their way.

Marinette's dad was waiting for her in the kitchen, a box in one of his large hands. "Here you are, Marinette!" He beamed at his daughter and pressed the box into her hands. "Today's bread and cheese pairing."

Marinette returned his smile and peered down through the window in the lid. "What do we have today, Dad?"

"Garlic and herb chèvre with a rustic sourdough," he said.

"Sounds great! I'm sure my friends will all love it." Marinette glanced at the clock and blanched. "Oh, no! Time to go! Bye Dad!" She kissed his cheek and darted for the door. "Tell Mom I said bye. See you after school!" Tom Dupain just chuckled and waved her off.

The trip to school was uneventful and thankfully quick. As she raced up the stairs and through the front door of her school, Marinette pulled out her phone and checked. She was right on time! Second day in a row. Alya would be shocked. She smiled to herself and looked up just in time to run nose first into something solid. She fell onto her backside with all the grace of a baby learning to walk.

"Owww," she groaned and rubbed her nose. "What..." She glanced up to see what she'd run into.

A young man, dressed sharply in a light gray dress shirt, dark gray vest, and matching dark gray slacks, lay prone before her on his hands and knees. Pale blond hair, which had probably been combed back neatly before she'd knocked him over, hid his face from her view. With a gasp, she jumped up and held a hand out toward him. "I'm so so sorry! I didn't see you there. Are you ok?"

A hand shot out and smacked hers away. Marinette's eyes widened in surprise. Without a word, the well-dressed young man stood up, dusted himself off, and straightened the black tie that was tucked down the front of his vest. He smoothed back his hair, turning his steely blue-gray gaze on the clumsy girl. He stood a good head taller than her, so she had to look up to see his face. His defined features were handsome enough, but his eyes were cold and distant. There was something almost familiar about him (the perfectly shaped nose, the strong jaw, the high cheekbones), but Marinette couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"Are you ok?" she asked again, her face filled with concern.

"You should pay more attention to where you're going," he retorted sharply.

Something snapped inside Marinette. "That would be why I apologized. I even admitted it was my mistake and tried to help you up. You don't have to be so rude! Besides, who just stands in an entryway right in front of the door? Shouldn't you be more considerate about the other people who need to enter or exit the building?"

He opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a gasp. "The cheese!" The box had flown out of Marinette's hand when she fell and skidded across the floor. A faint noise came from the young man's vest pocket, and he covered it with a hand. Marinette didn't notice. She was inspecting the box and its contents. "Phew," she breathed. "Well, that's lucky. Looks like it's ok." She turned back and was about to say something when the prominent form of her headmaster rounded the corner.

"I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting," Mr Damocles addressed the young man. He turned his attention to Marinette with a slightly confused smile. "Ah, Miss Dupain-Cheng, the committee sent you to welcome Mr Agreste? I would have thought they'd send someone from his class..."

"Adrien's brother..." Marinette said in wonderment. His familiarity finally made sense. How had she not made the connection before?

"Ah, that's right. You're the class representative for his brother's class," the headmaster recalled. "I suppose that makes... some sense." He shook his head, not quite believing his own words but not about to question the decision of the committee. He noticed the box in her hand and smiled. "Ah, I see you even brought him a welcome gift. That's very thoughtful of you. Be sure to give Mr Agreste the full tour. I'll let your teachers know where you are, so you won't be marked absent." He turned back to the elder Agreste brother. "We are very happy to have you here, Mr Agreste. I do hope you'll pass the sentiment on to your father."

"Of course, Headmaster. I'm happy to be here," he said smoothly, a polite smile gracing his lips. Marinette snapped out of her daze and stared at him. He could be quite charming when he wasn't being rude. Mr Damocles nodded and took his leave.

"Ah, wait! Mr Damocles...?" Marinette called after him a little too late.

"Hmph, trying to get out of it, now that you know I'm not like my little brother?"

She whirled on him. "For your information, no, that is not the case!" She stopped, suddenly realizing that no matter how rude he may be, he was the son of her favorite designer, not to mention the brother of the love of her life. She continued a little more subdued, "Er, Mr Agr-"

"Felix," he cut her off, his voice thick with annoyance. "Do not call me Mr Agreste."

"Right. Sorry. Felix." She closed her eyes, took a breath, and let it out, trying to tamp down her own irritation. Once she felt back in control of herself, she flashed him a smile and held her hand out to him. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Like Mr Damocles said, I'm in your brother's class. Oh, but I'm actually not the person who was sent to welcome you. It seems there's been a misunderstanding."

Felix ignored her outstretched hand and stepped past her, glancing around the empty entryway. "Either way, the headmaster seems to think you are, and I don't see anyone else here. You may as well show me around, so we can get to our respective classes." Without even a backward glance to see if she agreed, he walked through the doorway into the main hall.

Marinette grit her teeth and let out a low growl. Her purse clicked open, and the little bug kwami poked her head out. "Are you ok, Marinette?"

"Yeah, Tikki. I just really hope Adrien won't hate me; I may end up strangling his brother!"

* * *

Adrien slid into his seat with a sigh and began preparing for class. Why did his family have to be so difficult? Was that what normal families were like? He didn't think so. He'd seen some of his classmates' families that Christmas, and they seemed to get along pretty well.

Nino heard him and leaned over. "Hey, Adrien, how'd things go with your brother?"

Adrien forced a small smile and shrugged. "As well as could be expected. He and I were never really that close." He hadn't even seen his brother when he'd gotten home from school and a photo shoot (a real one). Felix had locked himself away in his room. Adrien figured he was tired from a long day, but when morning came around, Felix stayed in his room till the last minute before they had to leave. He didn't even join Adrien for breakfast. The car ride had been almost painful. Adrien tried asking questions about his time abroad, but Felix simply responded with evasive, one-word answers. Only one question received a genuine response.

"Has Uncle Anton heard anything..." Adrien trailed off, uncertain how to continue.

Felix understood and turned his full attention to his brother. "No. Uncle Anton hasn't heard from mother. He promised he would let us know immediately if she contacts him."

They'd arrived at the school shortly after the exchange. It was for the best anyhow. Adrien hadn't been sure what else to say to him. Even the sentimentally oblivious Plagg recognized the apathetic demeanor Felix afforded his younger brother.

"Harsh. I'm sorry, dude," Nino sympathized. "Hey, you said it's been a while, yeah? Maybe he's just settling back in. You know, might take him a while to get back in the groove of things here."

Adrien highly doubted that but didn't want his friend to worry. Plus, there was always hope that things could change. After all, that year had already brought a lot of change for him. He smiled. "You're right, Nino. Thanks, man."

The teacher called the class to attention and began taking attendance. She had only gotten to the second name when a tap on the door interrupted her. Mr Damocles opened the door. "Sorry to interrupt, Miss Bustier. I just wanted to let you know that Miss Dupain-Cheng will be late today. She will be showing Mr Adrien Agreste's older brother around the school for me."

"Of course, Mr Damocles. Thank you for letting me know," Miss Bustier said with a smile. The headmaster nodded and ducked back out of the room, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door latched, the students rushed to the inner classroom windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elder Agreste. While Miss Bustier sighed in exasperation, they all started asking questions excitedly. Adrien answered them as he could. Ivan, being the tallest, was the first to spot Marinette and Adrien's brother and pointed them out to the rest of the class. Out of curiosity, Adrien looked out the window as well. He blinked in surprise at what he saw.

Felix and Marinette appeared to be engaged in heated conversation as they walked through the hall. Marinette was gesturing wildly with her hands, and to Adrien's surprise, Felix responded with some rather animated (for him) body language of his own. He said something and kept walking, leaving Marinette behind him stomping a foot in irritation. Even though they were clearly arguing, Adrien had never seen his brother react so freely with anyone before. Felix was always guarded, like every word he spoke was calculated well in advance. With Marinette, he seemed unrestrained, almost at ease.

Adrien felt a pang of jealousy. How was it that his own brother appeared closer to a girl he'd just met than with him? And what about Marinette? She was Adrien's friend, but for some reason, she always seemed uncomfortable around him. With Felix, though clearly agitated, she wasn't awkward or uneasy.

The students finally settled and returned to their seats, much to their teacher's satisfaction. Class resumed, but Adrien failed to notice. He was lost in his thoughts about the interaction he'd just witnessed and the implications behind it.

* * *

The day dragged for Felix. After he had parted ways with the irksome, blue-eyed girl from that morning, he found his class to be far too interested in him for his liking. He understood that he was the new student, and his studies in Italy set him apart from most new students. Everyone wanted to know what it had been like, tried to practice Italian with him, asked why he'd returned to Paris for a single semester of school. He answered an occasional question, but for the most part, he ignored them, focusing on the classes and the schoolwork. Eventually, his classmates gave up and went back to their own studies, allowing Felix a few moments of peace.

When classes finished for the day, Felix made a beeline for the front door. His own class had been unavoidable. He did not want to end up being stopped and questioned by the rest of the school as well.

The car had just pulled up to the curb, and rather than wait for the bodyguard who doubled as chauffeur to get out and open the door for him, Felix reached for the door himself, anxious to be on his way. As his hand touched the handle, a loud revving caught his attention. A huge truck was stirring up a commotion just down the street. The bold red and purple and strange design of it stood out like a sore thumb on the city backdrop.

"What the...?" Felix murmured.

Someone ran past him from that direction and yelled, "Akuma!"

 _A what...?_

The truck ran its tires up onto the sidewalk. Spikes shot out from the wheel hubs, and there was an unnatural glint from the windshield. The grill looked more like teeth caught up in a wicked smile. The peculiar vehicle began to pick up speed.

Felix saw the truck headed his direction, but his body just wouldn't move. Maybe it was fear or shock or some combination of the two, but whatever the reason, he just stood there dumbly as the thing gained on him. Before he knew it, the truck sped along the sidewalk mere feet in front of him.

Somewhere from the back of his mind, an impudent thought bubbled to the surface. _My first day of school, and I'm about to be run over on the sidewalk. Just my luck..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, I missed my every other day update I'd been trying to maintain, but to be fair, daylight saving time is awful... Also, longer update! Anywho, thank you for reading!


	7. Breathless

**Breathless**

By the time she made it back to her classroom, Marinette was fuming. Alya tried to ask her questions about her time with Felix, but she waved her friend off. She was in no mood to talk about that insolent cad. She couldn't understand how someone could be so rude, callous, and infuriating, let alone how he could be of the same blood as her beloved Adrien. Sure, they shared many physical attributes, but that was where their similarities ended. Felix's arrogant face popped into the forefront of her mind, and she huffed quietly, earning a sidelong glance from Alya. She was so absorbed in her agitation that she didn't notice the question in her friend's eye - or how pensive and withdrawn the boy in front of her had become.

Marinette just wanted the day to be over. A good match of Ultimate Mecha Strike III with her dad, her mom's home cooked dinner, and a bit of work on her new designs sounded like heaven to her, and it all awaited her once school was out. The thought put her in a better mood and made the rest of the day bearable.

Before she knew it, the final bell of the day had rung, and Marinette leapt from her seat. She waved cheerfully to Alya and sped for the entryway before her friend could stop and question her. She was looking forward to going home so much, she almost didn't notice the akuma right out front.

* * *

Felix's eyes squeezed shut. The smell of exhaust flooded his nostrils, and the rumbling vibrations rippled through the sidewalk and into his frozen feet. The sound of the powerful engine grew louder as the truck drew closer. His entire body tensed.

A long moment passed, and... nothing happened? Felix cracked an eye open. The truck was in front of him, but it wasn't moving. Something was holding it back. His eyes opened wide, and he gaped at the feminine figure standing between him and the truck. A tight red and black-spotted bodysuit covered her lithe form from her neck down to her toes, and two red ribbons fluttered out behind her blue-black pigtails. She strained, pulling on a thin black string with both hands. The string was wound between a lamppost and a post on the sidewalk, crisscrossing to form a web that held the truck back. She turned her head toward him, and bright blue eyes shone from beneath a mask of the same material and color as her suit. "Get out of the way!"

Felix stared at her. His brain yelled at him to move, but his body refused to listen. So he just stood there like a fool. She must have seen the inner conflict in his eyes because she shifted the string in her hands, freeing one, and held it out to him. "Quick, take my hand!"

The truck's engine revved viciously, and the heavy metal frame pressed against the webbing. The feminine form before him strained, wincing. It was as if seeing her in pain jumpstarted something in Felix, and his body finally decided to comply. He placed his hand in hers, and with a tight grip on him, she yanked the string sharply. It retracted, pulling them along like a pair of marionettes. As they rounded the lamppost, the masked heroine let go of the string, throwing them to one side, clear of danger. A loud crunch of metal hitting metal resounded through the air as the string released the webbing.

Felix lost his footing and stumbled to the ground, pulling the girl with him. She landed on top of him with enough force to knock the air from his lungs. A yoyo landed on the ground next to them. Her face hovered mere centimeters above his, brilliant blue eyes wide in surprise. For a brief moment, irritation flashed across her features, but it vanished before Felix could even fully register it. She scrambled back to sit on her haunches next to him.

"Are you ok?" She still had his hand in her gloved one and pulled him up to a sitting position.

He struggled to catch his breath and answer, but all he could do was gasp. That's when he saw it. Behind the masked girl, one of the spikes on the wheel of the truck fired through the air, headed right for her back. "Be...hind..." was all he could manage.

The girl whipped around. She sat between him and the projectile, and Felix knew she could easily move out of the way. Whether he could or not was an entirely different story. He could barely breathe, let alone jump to one side. The girl didn't even hesitate. Rather than dodge the spike, she braced herself, arms crossed to cover her face. Without any time to grab the yoyo that sat useless on the sidewalk behind Felix, she was defenseless. Unable to move, Felix could only stare incredulously at this masked heroine who was putting her life on the line to save a complete stranger.

When the spike was nearly upon her, a metal pole crashed down on the spike, knocking it out of the air with a loud crack. A pair of black boot-clad feet landed on the pavement in front of them, and a pair of black gloved hands spun the metal pole with a flair in front of them. Covered from neck down in a textured black body suit, the boy before them also wore a mask of the same material over his eyes and nose. Two leathery cat-like ears topped wild blond hair, and a belt wound around his waist with a long end trailing behind him like a tail. Dark green cat eyes stared at Felix with an odd expression before flicking to the girl between them. With a little bow and a wink, the boy offered a hand to her. "Need a paw, milady?" he asked in a flirty tone.

Her body relaxed, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Great timing as always, Cat Noir," she said as she took his hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.

"You could say my timing is paw-sitively purrfect?" The black cat grinned cockily at his own joke.

The girl rolled her eyes and reached back for her yoyo. "C'mon, let's go use that timing of yours on the akuma before we run _out_ of time." Her gaze shifted back to Felix. "Take shelter inside the school. I don't think your ride will be going anywhere anytime soon." She gestured toward the twisted wreckage that had once been his father's car. His bodyguard must have jumped from the vehicle before the crash because he stood unscathed in the middle of the street staring blankly at it.

She cast a small, sympathetic smile at Felix then tossed her yoyo toward another lamppost. It secured itself around the top, and with a little tug, the girl swung away after the truck as it rounded the corner at the far end of the street. The black-clad boy looked from the girl to Felix with that same odd expression before bounding off after her. Felix just sat on the sidewalk and watched them disappear around the corner with a dumbstruck look on his face.

"Phew, that was a close one!" Shade flew out of Felix's vest pocket and hovered near his face, following his companion's gaze. "I'd bet a wheel of cheese that's the Ladybug you've been looking for."

Felix kept his eyes fixed on where the two superheroes had vanished from view. "She's..."

"Pushy, annoying, strange." Shade ticked each word off on his tiny, shadowy claws and added with a slight wince, "Heavy."

"Incredible!"

The little dark creature crossed his arms over his chest and nodded sagely. "In-" He stopped short, violet eyes going wide. " _Incredible_?!"

The blond composed himself and stood slowly, brushing the dirt off his slacks. With a quiet cough, he backpedaled, "You have to admit, Shade, not everyone would risk their life for a stranger. And she held off a truck with a _yoyo_!"

A knowing smile spread across Shade's hazy features. "Hmm, if I didn't know any better, I'd say whoever that girl is, you _love_ her," he teased.

Felix said nothing, but he couldn't hide the color dusting his cheeks as he gazed off in the distance where the masked girl had disappeared.

* * *

 **A/N:** As always, thanks for reading. I had grand plans to have his posted a week ago, but it sat half written the entire time. My proofreader, aka my partner, my very own Cat Noir, snarky comments and all, was out of town, so getting anything done at all was next to impossible. Anywho, next segment will be up much quicker! Until then, spots off!


	8. Shadows Extend

**Shadows Extend**

As Ladybug and Cat Noir vaulted themselves up onto a nearby rooftop, an uneasiness spread through Adrien. The commotion outside his classroom window a short while ago had alerted him to the akuma's presence, and he quickly found a place to transform, ignoring Plagg's complaints about an interrupted cat nap. By the time he made his way outside as Cat Noir, his partner and his brother were on the ground in a rather compromising position. He'd stood rooted in place, gawking. It wasn't until his brother wheezed something unintelligible that he saw the projectile headed for them and leapt into action.

Cat Noir sighed and tried to focus on his footing. The two heroes dashed across the Paris skyline, using the higher vantage point to track the akuma. The truck screamed down the streets below dangerously, ramming any car that dared find itself in the way. Despite the ruckus, Cat Noir couldn't shake the earlier scene from his mind.

"So, you and that guy looked awful cozy back there. You cheating on me, Bugaboo?" he teased, purposely keeping his tone light.

Ladybug's feet slipped, and she nearly tumbled to the ground with an incoherent noise of disgust. She righted herself just in time and kept chasing after the akuma. "We were definitely _not_ cozy!" She made a face. " _Definitely_ not! I just happened to save him from the akuma. That's all."

Cat hummed thoughtfully. "Me thinks the ladybug doth protest too much." The look that passed between his brother and Ladybug hadn't escaped his notice. Thankfully, for his lady's part, she'd seemed more annoyed than anything, which was probably why he could rib at her despite his genuine jealousy. It was his brother's expression that bothered him, not just because of how foreign it had been on his face. The look of shock and awe had surprised him; Adrien thought nothing could rattle his ever taciturn sibling. It was the utter and unabashed admiration that shone in Felix's eyes that worried him. First, the apparent ease with his friend, Marinette, then the evident appreciation for his lady love. Adrien wasn't sure he liked where things were headed.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Me thinks a certain kitty should focus on the task at hand." Her hand gestured out to the truck directly beneath them.

With a look of wordless communication, they nodded at each other and launched themselves off the edge of the roof simultaneously. The truck jerked to one side as they landed, and Cat Noir's feet went out from under him. He landed flat on his stomach, and his claws scrabbled for a hold on the smooth metal surface as he slid off the edge. For a moment, his body felt weightless, but gravity quickly took hold of him once again. The ground sped closer, and Cat Noir's arms flew up to protect his head.

His belt cinched tight around his waist as Ladybug grabbed his leather belt tail and swung him back up on top of the truck. With a thud, he landed beside her, his face taking the brunt of the impact against the cool metal. He looked up at her and offered an embarrassed grin. She rolled her eyes and offered a hand to Cat Noir.

"We have to find a way to stop this truck." Ladybug had to yell to be heard over the roaring engine.

Cat Noir took his lady's hand and hopped to his feet. "I'm all revved up! Let's stop this guy's parade."

They crept up toward the cab and carefully leaned over to get a look inside. A man sat behind the wheel with a wicked grin on his face. His skin had a peculiar purple tinge, and his clothing matched the red and purple of his truck. Spikes adorned shoulder pads that looked suspiciously like tires. Ladybug grimaced. Why did akuma victims always have the gaudiest style? She was about to voice her distaste when a flash caught her eye.

"Cat Noir, I think the akuma must be in that keychain." She pointed to the keys dangling from the ignition. A solitary metal keychain swung from side to side, catching the light with each pass.

"Alright, time to pull this thing over!" Cat Noir twirled his baton with a flair that he knew was a little extra showy. Unfortunately, Ladybug didn't seem to notice or care, so he extended the baton straight for the hood of the truck. The metal pole hit with a loud clang but only succeeded in glancing off the hood. Cat retracted it and frowned. "Well, I guess that won't work."

Laughter surrounded them. Startled, the two heroes looked around to see speakers attached to long hollow pipes on either side of the top of the cab. The akumatized victim within addressed them, "You think you can stop Road Rage so easily?! Ha! You'll regret getting in my way! Now hand over your miraculouses before I really get angry!"

Ladybug looked thoughtful a moment then shot her yoyo above her head with a shout. "Lucky Charm!" A red sack with black spots appeared above her head and fell into her outstretched arms. Her fingers fumbled with the opening, and she peered inside, confusion clear on her masked face. "Potatoes? What am I supposed to do with these?"

The truck swerved to one side, and both heroes dropped flat to the roof of the cargo box, holding on tight. The engine revved, and they zigzagged down the road, hitting every car, lamppost, and sign in their path. Black smoke poured out of the metal pipes on either side of the cab.

Ladybug looked up, and her ladybug sense overtook her vision. Her gaze went from the pipes to the potatoes in her hands, and a small smile tugged at her lips. She knew what to do. "Cat, take these." She tossed a few potatoes at him.

Taken by surprise, he fumbled a bit but caught all of them. "I know you find me ap-peel-ing, but don't you think this is kind of spudden?"

"See the exhaust pipes?" She pointed as she continued, completely ignoring his puns, "Toss them in there! It might take a minute, but we should be able to stop it."

They climbed out onto the cab carefully. Each time the truck hit something in the street, the entire vehicle jostled the heroes. It was slow going, but they finally made it to their respective pipes. Exchanging glances, they nodded and threw their potatoes inside.

The tubers rattled in the pipes, and the black smoke thinned to wisps. The truck continued to speed down the road, seemingly unhindered. Cat Noir looked up and blanched. People milled across the street at a crosswalk just up ahead, oblivious to the danger barreling toward them. "Get out of the way!" he shouted, flailing one arm at them.

His cry was swallowed by the wind, and the people continued on their way none the wiser. With a frustrated snarl, he extended his baton to javelin length and threw it at the street light over the crosswalk. The light shattered, and when the people looked up to see the familiar pole planted in its place, the truck loomed into view. Shouts and screams erupted from the crowd, and the people scrambled for the supposed safety of the sidewalks. One young boy stumbled and sat stunned in the middle of the crosswalk.

The truck's engine sputtered, and they began to lose speed but not quickly enough. They weren't going to stop in time, and Cat Noir knew it. "LB, get ready to take the wheel! Cataclysm!" His hand crackled with dark destructive power, and he placed his palm on the roof of the cab. Black decay spread from his touch, and the cab roof disintegrated beneath them. Cat Noir landed on top of the akumatized victim, knocking his hands from the wheel. While Cat struggled to subdue the man, Ladybug reached over from the passenger seat and jerked the steering wheel to one side just in time to narrowly avoid the boy.

Steam escaped from under the hood, and the truck slowed to a stop just a few meters past the intersection. Not wasting a moment, Ladybug ripped the keys from the ignition and, with a little help from her yoyo, crushed the keychain. The small dark butterfly that emerged didn't get far before the masked heroine caught it up and de-evilized it. She bid farewell to the pure white butterfly that took its place and tossed the now empty potato sack skyward through the hole above them. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The sack exploded into a shower of tiny ladybugs, and the little insects took off down the street in a red blur, fixing the damage caused by Hawkmoth's minion. A couple kilometers away, ladybugs descended upon a pile of crumpled metal, and an expensive luxury car took its place, good as new, much to the astonishment of a certain pair of blue-gray eyes.

* * *

Once home, Felix hurried to his room and shut the door behind him. The tension from the day saturated his body with fatigue, but his mind raced with the events that had happened just in front of his new school. Shade shot out of his pocket and hovered in front of his companion.

"Phew! What a day! And here I thought your first day of school would be boring." Shade flew over to the bed, a lazy trail of shadow following close behind. He plopped himself down on the comforter and eyed the vacant expression on Felix's face critically. "Hmm, thinking about that girl from earlier, huh?"

Felix snapped out of his thoughts and gave the little creature a hard stare. Finally, with a hint of reluctance, he answered, "You have to admit, that Ladybug is quite incredible."

"I was talking about that girl from this morning! Marinette? You and she had some real chemistry going on there!" Shade jeered, and his mouth curled into a wicked grin.

Felix scowled. "Shut your mouth, Shade. That girl is as infuriating as she is annoying. There is _nothing_ incredible about _her_."

"Except that she just happened to have some good smelling cheese... I still can't believe you wouldn't ask her to give you some for me!" Shade huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest in indignation.

Blue-gray eyes rolled, and a labored sigh escaped Felix's lips. "There is more than enough cheese here to feed that voracious appetite of yours." Ignoring the creature's muttering that sounded suspiciously like an "I doubt it", Felix shifted gears back to the other girl who had made an impact on his day. "This Ladybug girl... how does she do it?" His brow creased, and Felix began to pace the room. "I mean, she used a yoyo... but it wasn't a normal yoyo. The string of that thing held back a moving truck! What must that thing be made of, I wonder... and you saw the car! It was nothing but scrap metal, then it was fixed, as if nothing had happened. Ladybugs... a cloud of ladybugs fixed the car... How is that even possible, Shade?"

The cat-like creature gave him a cat worthy stare then shrugged his little shoulders. "How should I know?"

"You are a cat thing made of shadow that came out of my ring," Felix said flatly. "You're as impossible as she is, so I figured you must know _something_."

"Well, when you say it like that..." Shade paused and furrowed the shadows that Felix imagined were his brow. "Actually, I think I may have remembered something. Try saying..." The shadowy ball flew up to his ear and whispered something.

"Lights out?" Felix looked at Shade confused for a moment. With an audible click, all the lights in the room shut off. They stood there in the dark, Shade's laughter ringing about the room. "Lights on." The lights snapped back on with another click, and Felix sighed heavily. "Very funny, Shade."

"I love these voice activated lights! I just couldn't help myself!" Shade rolled over himself a few times in the air as he laughed. Suddenly, he stopped and flew up to Felix's face again. "For real, though; I did remember something. Try saying 'shadows extend'."

Despite Shade's serious expression, Felix hesitated, quirking his brow. Shade just rolled his eyes and folded his tiny arms across his body expectantly. "Fine. This better not be another trick. Shadows extend." The room was enveloped in darkness again, but this time, the lights remained on.


	9. The Kiss

**The Kiss**

Their fingertips brushed lightly, tentative at first. Soon, their palms touched, and they took a careful step closer to each other. One took a deep breath, and the other did the same. Time seemed to slow, and the early morning light trickled through the open window, dancing playfully across their features.

"You're so beautiful," came the breathy whisper.

Together, they leaned in toward one another, slow and deliberate. At the last possible moment, their eyes fluttered shut. Lip met lip in a kiss so soft and brief that she almost thought it hadn't happened. It was like the gentle caress of a butterfly's wing. She leaned back slowly, letting out the breath she'd been holding. Her mouth quirked up at the corners into a satisfied smile, and her eyes opened lazily to meet the eyes opposite her.

"Just perfect," she said appreciatively. "As always."

Her smile turned smug, brilliant sapphire eyes sparkling, and the figure across from her mimicked the look. A quick flick of her hand moved her blond ponytail off her shoulder, and Chloe turned away from the mirror, ready to face the day.

* * *

 **A/N:** Happy April Fools'! A day late, but still fun. Hope I didn't get your hopes up too much. ;) The real next chapter is up, too, so read on!


	10. Falling

**Falling**

Adrien sat at the desk in front of his computer. A video played on one of the screens, but he wasn't paying attention. His mind was focused on the events of the afternoon.

 _After their customary fistbump, Ladybug looked down the street, her brow creased with concern._

 _"What's wrong?" Cat Noir touched her arm lightly as he asked._

 _"I was thinking about that boy from earlier. I hope he's ok..."_

 _Cat's hand dropped from her arm and fell at his side like a lead weight. She was worried about Felix. The uneasiness returned, but Adrien tried to tamp it down. "Oh, I'm sure he's just fine," Cat Noir said, keeping his voice light._

 _"I hope so. I didn't see him at the intersection when I picked up your stick, so I'm assuming his parents got him away from here."_

 _Green eyes blinked as realization dawned. "Ooooh, you meant the boy in the crosswalk!"_

 _"Yeah..." Ladybug cocked her head to one side, puzzled. "Who else would I mean?"_

 _"Oh, er, well," Cat stammered. He ducked his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. "I, uh, kind of thought you meant that guy from earlier, at the school?"_

 _Her face contorted in a look between repulsion and exasperation. "Him again?" With some effort, she schooled her features into a neutral expression, not before earning a confused look from her partner. She let out a quiet chuckle and placed her fingertips against his forehead. Pushing him away playfully, she murmured, "Silly Kitty."_

 _While Cat Noir practically melted in a puddle at her feet, Ladybug winked and swung away on her yoyo._

Adrien's cheeks glowed a faint pink at the memory, and he touched his fingers to his forehead lightly, a dopey grin on his lips. Ladybug's irritation over his brother still boggled him, but that small interaction had been enough to soothe his worries at least for the moment. It almost seemed like she knew him, but Adrien was sure that must be impossible. Felix had only just returned to Paris and changed considerably in the time he was away. Even Adrien had barely recognized him.

Lost in his thoughts, Adrien almost missed the rustling just below his bedroom window. He perked up and turned to the kwami sitting on his bed, paws full of stinky Camembert. "Did you hear something, Plagg?"

Plagg looked up, and his ear twitched. "Hear whath?" he managed, mouth full.

Adrien's brow furrowed, and he moved to the window. Popping it open, he leaned out and stared into the gardens below. The sun had dipped behind the wall surrounding the manse, cloaking the flowers below in shadow. Adrien squinted, but without his transformation, his eyes couldn't see anything in the evening twilight. He stood there a moment, listening, but the garden was silent. With a shrug, he hummed thoughtfully to himself and turned away, not noticing the glowing violet eyes that peered out of the darkness after him.

* * *

School the next day was relatively uneventful for Marinette, probably in large part due to the absence of a certain rude blonde. Chloe Bourgeois's father, the mayor was planning some big event that night for Jagged Stone, and Chloe had gotten out of school to "help". No one was surprised that Sabrina was also missing from role call.

Unfortunately, Marinette's streak of being on time for school was broken that morning, so Alya had to wait until lunch to grill her about Adrien's brother. Marinette didn't hold back and went off on a tirade about how arrogant and unpleasant Felix was, much to the unnoticed amusement of the green eyed boy eavesdropping nearby.

Afternoon classes sped by, and they were released for the weekend. The design competition was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, so Marinette was anxious to get home to work on her piece. She had almost made it home when a nearby commotion caught her attention.

With a sigh, she ducked around a corner into an empty alleyway. Her purse popped open, and Tikki zipped out, hovering at eye level. "Another akuma?" she squeaked mildly in her ever-cheerful voice.

Marinette nodded. "Hawkmoth is working overtime lately. This is the third one in three days!"

Tikki giggled softly. "A hero's work is never done."

"I guess not." They smiled at each other. "Let's go! Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Ladybug caught up with the akumatized victim on the roof of Le Grand Paris. It was a woman this time, with short dark hair that stuck straight up from her head and a dark purple tinge to her skin. She wore a black bodysuit topped with a red leather jacket. A matching red mask obscured her face from view.

In the streets below, people ran from the building, trying to get away, but the victim simply held up a purple and black clipboard and casually wrote something on it. The people stopped in their tracks, spun around, and began lining up in an orderly fashion. Their movements were clunky, as if their actions were forced, and the expressions on their faces were strained.

Cat Noir landed nimbly on a nearby rooftop right next to Ladybug as she surveyed the scene. "Hello there, Ladybug. We seem to be in high demand the past few days."

"A hero's work is never done," she echoed Tikki's words with a secretive grin. "It looks like she can control people with that clipboard. The akuma must be in it." She gave her partner a pointed look, a small smile playing on her lips. "Be careful. I really don't want to have to fight off your advances again if you get controlled."

Cat Noir's hands flew up to his chest just over his heart in mock anguish. "You wound me, milady! For your in-fur-mation, I'm always careful." He grinned and winked at her.

Ladybug suppressed a laugh and quipped back, "Quit pussyfooting around, and let's take care of this akuma."

The pair vaulted themselves over to the hotel rooftop and landed near the akumatized victim. She turned to them, a wicked smile on her lips. "Well, well, well, Ladybug and Cat Noir." She paused to glance down at her clipboard. "You're right on schedule."

"Let those people go!" Ladybug demanded, twirling her yoyo threateningly in front of her.

"Oh, I think not," the victim replied, meeting Ladybug's eyes. She lifted her hand, pen hovering over the clipboard. " _I'm_ in charge of this event! It will go according to _my_ plans, not some little blond brat's. _I'm_ the agent here!"

Marinette groaned inwardly. She didn't even need to ask to know which "blond brat" was being referenced. _Chloe strikes again_ , she thought, _but who this time...?_ An image of Jagged Stone's agent swam into Ladybug's vision for a moment, overlaying the woman before her. "Penny?"

"I'm not Penny! I'm the Coordinator! It's time to put my plans into motion, starting with your miraculouses!" She touched her pen to the clipboard.

Ladybug's yoyo shot out toward her, but the Coordinator scribbled something before it hit her. As if pulled by an unseen force, Cat Noir leapt between the two, and the yoyo wound itself around him. He fell to one side, the tension on the string pulling it from Ladybug's hand. She stumbled backward.

Her feet hit the lip around the roof's edge, and unable to right herself, she tumbled over it. Without her yoyo, she had no way to stop her descent. She fell through the air, flailing her arms and legs, but the ground continued to speed up on her. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for a rather uncomfortable landing.

* * *

 **A/N:** It's always Chloe... Thanks for reading!


	11. Ecats!

**Ecats!**

Her feet hit the lip around the roof's edge, and unable to right herself, she tumbled over it. Without her yoyo, she had no way to stop her descent. She fell through the air, flailing her arms and legs, but the ground continued to speed up on her. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for a rather uncomfortable landing.

The impact never came. Instead, she felt something sweep her up. It took a moment to realize she wasn't still falling. She cracked an eye open to see the buildings passing alongside. Horizontal motion. She let out a small sigh.

"Need a lift, Miss Ladybug?" The voice sounded familiar, and for a moment, Ladybug could have sworn it belonged to Cat Noir. She turned to see her rescuer and nearly flailed out of his shadow-clad arms. "Woah! Hey, calm down! Do you WANT me to drop you?!"

"Who are you?!" That was NOT Cat Noir, and his masked face made her uneasy.

"Let's get to solid footing first." The strange figure bounded through the shadows of the alleyway, almost effortlessly, until they were standing on a flat rooftop near where she'd fallen. He set her down carefully and took an apprehensive step back.

Ladybug eyed him critically. A black mask covered the entire top half of his face, and a tight black suit hugged his body, revealing well-defined muscles underneath along his arms, legs, and chest. His covered hands and feet ended in sharp claws. Buried within wild blond locks, two cat ears sprouted from his head, each topped with a shadowy tuft of black fur. A long, furred tail twitched behind him from side to side. He looked eerily similar to her partner. However, rather than Cat Noir's green, this person's eyes glowed an unnatural shade of violet, and instead of a golden bell, a small, silver cat pendant with amethysts for eyes sat in the hollow of his throat, suspended from a black, leather collar. A matching ring sat upon a silver band on the middle finger of his right hand. Shadows swirled and shifted around him, seeming to cling to him almost as tightly as his suit and making Ladybug all the more uncomfortable.

"Ladybug! You're alright!" Cat Noir landed on the rooftop with her yoyo in his hand and rushed to her side. He was about to wrap his arms around her when her words stopped him.

"Who are you?" she repeated her earlier question.

Cat was puzzled for a moment, but when his gaze followed hers, a low growl escaped him. "Another akuma?!"

"I'm not an akuma!" the mystery figure said indignantly. He paused and looked thoughtful a moment. "At least, I don't think I am."

"Well, how do we know you're not?" Ladybug put one hand on her hip and eyed him skeptically.

"Well, how did you know _he_ wasn't an akuma?" he quipped back, gesturing to her partner.

Ladybug and Cat Noir both blinked and looked at each other. "He's not acting like an akuma..." she allowed.

"Ok, if you're not an akuma," Cat Noir grumbled, "then answer her question; who are you?" He took up a protective stance slightly in front of Ladybug.

The masked entity looked thoughtful for a moment, then answered cockily, "Call me Shadow Cat."

Cat Noir glowered at him. "Woah, woah, woah! I'm the cat around here! LB isn't some crazy cat lady. She's a one Cat kind of gal, right, milady?" He reached over and caught her hand in his. Maintaining eye contact with the newcomer, he lifted her hand up toward his lips pointedly.

Ladybug snatched her hand away, and his puckered lips morphed into a pout. "Down, Kitty." She frowned and stepped around her partner, watching her rescuer. "Cat Noir has a point, though. Having two 'cats' could get confusing. What if we just call you Shade?"

"No!" he responded immediately, annoyance clear in his voice. He sighed and continued in a more subdued tone, "How about just Shadow, then."

"Fine, Shadow, where did you come from? Why haven't we met before?" Cat Noir demanded. Ladybug sighed. Her partner was clearly feeling threatened.

"I'd be more than happy to answer what questions I can, but..." Shadow trailed off and pointed behind them. "You might want to take care of that first."

The heroes glanced behind them and gasped. "The akuma!" Cat Noir tossed Ladybug her yoyo and readied his baton, and the heroes vaulted themselves toward the hotel rooftop.

* * *

Shadow hung behind, while the two made their way back to the akuma. He wanted to follow but wasn't sure he should. He was still new to this; it was only his second time out and about as Shadow, after all.

As he considered his options, Ladybug glanced back over her shoulder. Her expression was one of puzzlement and curiosity with a heavy dose of suspicion, but Shadow's heart fluttered in his chest all the same. Judging from her reaction to Cat Noir's behavior, it didn't look like they were a couple.

He shook his head. This wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Ladybug was about to fight a dangerous akuma, and if he could offer any help at all, he wanted to try. He just hoped he wouldn't end up being a hindrance.

Determination illuminated his face, and without a second thought, Shadow leapt from the rooftop. The late afternoon sun lengthened the shadows in the street below, and he used that to his advantage. He'd found that he could gather the darkness from around himself and use them to jump from place to place, almost as if he were a shadow himself. He could still move about in the light, but he felt more comfortable, stronger even, when cloaked in darkness.

Sunlight shone upon the hotel, but the windowsills cast small shadows along the face of the building. He used them almost like steps, launching himself from one to the next until he landed on the roof with a fancy flip he hoped Ladybug saw. Luckily, she did. Unfortunately, he also landed right next to the akumatized woman, stumbled, and fell square on his backside.

The akuma whipped around to face Shadow, clipboard in one hand, pen in another. "And just who are you? I don't have a second Cat Noir on the schedule..."

"I'm-"

"He's-"

"Not Cat Noir!" Cat and Shadow finished simultaneously.

Shadow stood up, brushed himself off, and looked straight at the akuma. "I'm Sh-"

"I don't care who you are," the woman cut him off. "The deal with Hawkmoth was Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculouses. You're his problem. I have an event to run in..." She glanced at a watch on her wrist. "20 minutes." Her lips turned up at the corners. "I'll let you help me, though." Her pen touched the clipboard, and Shadow cocked an eyebrow, thoroughly confused. The next thing he knew, his body straightened of its own accord, turned toward the hero duo, and launched itself at them, claws out. Cat Noir stepped up and swung his baton out in front of him, ready to fight him off.

As luck (or bad luck) would have it, Shadow's tail twitched around in front of his legs, and he ended up tripping over himself, landing in a heap on his face right in front of none other than Ladybug. His body once again under his control, he looked up and let out a small, embarrassed chuckle.

"Well, that wasn't supposed to happen," the akumatized woman murmured. She frowned and looked down at the clipboard, and her pen scribbled on it again.

Not wasting a moment, Ladybug threw her yoyo up in the air and shouted, "Lucky Charm!" Shadow watched amazed as an object appeared out of thin air and fell to land in the masked girl's open hands. They dipped with the unexpected weight, and the item smacked Shadow on the head.

"Ow!" he grumbled, rubbing the sore spot as Ladybug quickly pulled it back.

"Oops! Sorry!" She offered him an apologetic smile and looked at the red and black-spotted thing in her hands. "A dumbbell?"

Ladybug didn't have time to sort out how to use her Lucky Charm. Cat Noir was charging at her, baton up and ready to strike. "Look out!" he shouted.

Understanding dawned on her face, and Ladybug hefted the dumbbell into one hand, holding it almost like a bowling ball. "Get ready, Cat Noir," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

As his body moved of its own accord, Cat Noir's eyes filled with apprehension. He never liked it when she got that look in her eye.

Ladybug pulled her arm back and rolled the dumbbell along the ground at her partner. The weight caught his foot as he ran, and it was his turn to stumble. Grabbing Shadow by his belt, Ladybug stepped nonchalantly out of the way, revealing the Coordinator behind her. Cat Noir grinned as he fell toward the woman and called out, "Cataclysm!" Dark powers swirled around his hand, sparking black and green, and he touched his palm to the clipboard as he tumbled into the akuma. She fell back, losing her grip on the decaying item, and Cat landed on his hands and knees near her. The clipboard flew through the air and landed a few feet away, disintegrating as it landed on the rooftop.

Still sitting where Ladybug had unceremoniously dropped him, Shadow stared, mouth agape, as a small black and purple butterfly rose from the ashes. He turned to Ladybug just in time to see her run a finger along the face of her yoyo. It opened, revealing a small compartment inside.

"No more evil doing for you, little akuma," she said. "Time to de-evilize!" She twirled the yoyo around in an impressive display and, with amazing accuracy, caught the butterfly in the yoyo. The compartment closed, and the yoyo returned to its owner. "Gotcha!" She turned the yoyo over in her hand and opened it again with a touch of her finger. A pure white butterfly fluttered out and flew off into the horizon. "By bye, little butterfly." Ladybug scooped the dumbbell up off the ground and, with a little effort, tossed the heavy object into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" As she shouted, the weight exploded in red light, and hundreds of tiny ladybugs shot off in every direction, repairing any damage and freeing anyone controlled by the akuma.

The little bugs enveloped the woman before them, and in her place sat a slender young woman with purple pixie-cut hair and multiple ear piercings. She looked around confused and straightened her black leather jacket as she stood. "What am I doing up here?" She looked at her wristwatch and gasped. "Oh no! The event!" Not even noticing the heroes around her, Penny darted for the stairwell and disappeared from view.

Cat Noir leapt to his feet and held a fist out toward Ladybug. She bumped her fist to his, and in unison, they both said, "Pound it!"

"That was amazing!"

Clearly having forgotten about him, a startled Ladybug and Cat Noir turned toward Shadow.

"Er, right," Cat Noir recovered. "Now about those ques-"

Ladybug's earrings and Cat Noir's ring both beeped, cutting him off. The heroes exchanged a pointed look, while Shadow just raised a brow at them.

"Shadow, we have to go," Ladybug finally said. "Can you meet us tonight at the Eiffel Tower around 9?"

Shadow jumped to his feet and, with one hand across his middle, dipped in a small bow. "Anything for you, Ladybug." He smiled, and Cat Noir narrowed his eyes at him. "Until then!" Shadow stepped back and melted into the darkness, vanishing from view.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, a tall masked figure stood in a dark room, staring out a large window. Dozens of snow white butterflies floated around him lazily, their glowing wings the only light source in the room. The figure touched a finger to his chin and frowned. "Another miraculous wielder...?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Ok, so everyone probably saw this coming. I just love jealous Cat Noir, though. Thanks for reading!


	12. Questions

**A/N:** Thank you for sticking with this story up to this point, and sorry the update is so late. Things have been crazy busy for me, and I've been feeling very unmotivated lately. This chapter is titled in honor of a one-shot I wrote ironically to celebrate a month of consistently updating this story, lol. Anyways, it was so fun to write that I've decided to continue it once my motivation returns. Probably only two or three more segments, though. If you like Adrinette fluff, be sure to check it out!

Anywho, please enjoy!

* * *

 **Questions**

Shadow hadn't meant to get involved. In fact, his only intention had been to watch from afar. He'd been out getting used to his new abilities and the freedom they afforded when he'd heard screams from somewhere nearby. A dark tailed figure jumped from one building to the next over the alley he'd been skulking through, and his curiosity spurred him to follow. He wanted to see how Paris' heroes did what they did. A niggling thought at the back of his head also wondered just what sort of relationship the two shared. Then there was that strange look Cat Noir had given him...

From the concealment of the afternoon shadows, he set himself up on a nearby rooftop and watched Cat Noir land next to Ladybug. Despite the heightened senses that came with his transformation, their conversation didn't quite reach his ears, so he just watched as they chatted then vaulted to the rooftop of the mayor's hotel to confront the woman Shadow assumed must be an akuma.

Then Ladybug fell.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Shadow had scooped the heroine from the air with a speed he didn't even know he possessed.

So much for his plan to just sit back and watch.

Shaking away the thoughts swirling within his mind, Shadow darted through the lengthening shade of the Parisian cityscape. An impressive gated building came into view, and once over the gate, he leapt through an open window and landed inside his room without making a sound. "Shadows retract." As the words left his mouth, the shadows swirled around his body. The inky black receded, drawn to his right hand, and disappeared within the depths of the amethyst stones embedded in his ring. The gems gleamed, and with a surge of energy, a ball of condensed shadow emerged and immediately fell into Felix's outstretched hand.

The first time he'd dropped his transformation took him a while to figure out. Shade never told him how to go back to normal, so he'd spent most of the night as Shadow. It didn't bother him too much, though. There was something liberating about being able to move through the shadows without restriction or worry.

Two slits parted on the shadowy shape's face, revealing a brilliant violet glow. "Thanks for catching me this time," Shade mumbled.

"If you'd warned me, I might have caught you last time, too," Felix replied gruffly. He let out a soft huff and nodded toward a covered dish on his desk. "Cheese. I had the chef prepare something special before our walk about."

Shade's ears pricked up, and his eyes rounded. "Something special...?" A tiny tendril of drool formed at the corner of his mouth.

Felix shrugged one shoulder and looked at his bookshelf absently. "After how tired you were last night, I figured you deserved it." The corner of his lip quirked up in a small smirk. "You finally made yourself useful, after all." He lifted the lid from the plate and placed Shade in the center of nearly a dozen different varieties of cheese.

"Heaven!" Shade spun in a circle, surveying the cheeses with his mouth agape. "This must be what heaven is like!"

As Shade dove into the cheeses, sampling each type one at a time, his companion sat at the desk and watched, quite pleased with the little creature's enthusiastic response, though he'd never admit it. "Have you remembered anything else?"

Shade stopped, a gooey pawful of cheese halfway to his mouth. "It's been one day." He gave Felix an exasperated look. "It took me nearly half a year to remember what I did."

"Right..." Felix put a finger to his chin and pondered for a moment. "Well, I don't think you're an akuma."

"An a-what-a?"

"An akuma. It's what Ladybug and Cat Noir fight, some sort of evil purple butterfly tha-"

A loud snort cut him off. "Wait, wait," Shade said, trying to keep a straight face. "So, you're telling me that this Ladybug, the girl you have a _crush_ on, goes around the city in red spandex fighting purple butterflies with a _yoyo_?!" The little creature doubled over with laughter.

Felix scowled at the shadowy being, and his cheeks reddened. "It's more complicated than that!" He waited for Shade's laughter to die down to quiet sniggers before continuing, "They change people, control them somehow."

A mirthful smirk was plastered across Shade's face. "Ok, if you say so, but I can't help but notice you didn't deny the crush."

Felix let out a long suffering sigh. "Shade, focus!" He shook his head and massaged his brow with his fingers in an attempt to ward off the oncoming headache. "Like I was saying, I don't think you're an akuma."

"Are you sure?" Shade cackled, and the shadows pooled behind him, taking the form of a black butterfly. Its shadowy wings flapped once before dissolving back into the darkness.

Blue-gray eyes blinked slowly, thoroughly unamused. "So, anyways," Felix continued his train of thought, completely ignoring the show and Shade's pout, "if you aren't, just what are you? Do Ladybug and Cat Noir transform in the same way? Maybe they have something like you, too." His brow furrowed. "Does that mean I'm like them?"

"Kid, I don't even know what I am. How am I supposed to know what you are?" Shade deadpanned.

Felix grimaced. "True. I suppose I'll have to ask them."

Shade shrugged and shoved the gooey bite of cheese into his mouth. His eyes widened, and he spit the mouthful out onto the platter. "Blech!"

"What are you doing?" Felix asked in disgust.

Shade's face contorted into a look of revulsion. "Apparently, I don't like Camembert."

* * *

In Marinette's room, Tikki perched on the edge of the desk and nibbled at her cookie. Something was off. Her brow furrowed, and she pursed her lips in a thoughtful frown. "Did something happen with the akuma today?"

Marinette sat on the rolling chair in front of the spotted kwami and nodded. "Tikki, I think we met another miraculous holder today," she said, though her voice was thick with apprehension.

Tikki's eyes widened, and she set her cookie to one side to give her chosen her full attention. "You did?" she squeaked. "Are you sure it was a miraculous holder, though?"

Marinette shook her head. "No, I'm not. I mean, how am I supposed to tell?"

"The Guardian would know."

"Master Fu?"

Tikki nodded. "I can't put my finger on it, but something seems... strange," she said pensively. "You should go ask the Guardian about this supposed miraculous holder."

"I'm sure it's ok, Tikki," Marinette brushed off her companion's concern airily. "He didn't act like an akuma. He even saved me! And Cat Noir and I are going to question him a little later tonight." The girl winced. "Besides, I wouldn't want to bother Master Fu with something like this. I'm sure he's busy with... ancient Chinese secrets or something."

Tikki giggled, a sound that reminded Marinette of tinkling bells. "Marinette! You're Ladybug! Of course he has time for you!"

The girl smiled sheepishly at her kwami friend. "I suppose you're right. Maybe I'll go see him tomorrow if I don't get any answers tonight."


End file.
